Time-retarded extinguishing device for gas-burners



M. H. BAKER, DECD.

M. H. BAKER. ADMHHSTRATRIX.

TIME RETARDED EXTINGUISHING DEVICE FOR GAS BURNERS.

APPLlCATlON FHLED SEPT-10,1915. RENEWED NOV. 17. 1919.

1,356,5 Patented Aug. 24,1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM H. BAKER, OE BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS; MARIE H. BAKER, ADMINIS-TRATRIX OE SAID MALCOLM BAKER, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO KENNETH W. CROSBY,TRUSTEE, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIME-RETARDED EXTINGUISHING DEVICE FOR GAS-BURNERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Application filed September 10, 1915, SerialNo. 50,075. Renewed November17, 1919. Serial No. 338,526-

To all whom it may concern r Be it known that I, IVIALCOLM H. BAKER, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Braintree, in the countyof Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Time-Retarded Extinguishing Devices forGas-Burners, of which the following is a specification.

In another application filed by me, Serial No. 23,991 filed April 26,1915, I have disclosed means wherebya gas burner may be retarded inextinguishment through the agency of thei'mo-dynamic means arranged, inalterable thermal relation to the flame of the burner, and while thesaid burner is operating at practically a normal size flame.

In the present application I makeuse of thermo-dynamic means which arearranged in fixed relation to the flame of the burner, while the saidflame is of normal size, but which are actuated to produceextinguishment, after a predetermined period,-by the certain definitereduction in the size of the flame produced by the actuation of theordinary turning off mechanism.

That is, in the present application I provide thermo-dynamic meansarranged in fixed location with respect to the burner flame while thesame is operating in a normal manner. And I arrange the key, or othervalve control mechanism, of the burner, so that actuation of the same inthe turning off manner merely reduces the flame a predetermined amount,while still retaining it of sufficient size to give a fair light. Thethermo-dynamic means are then actuated by this specific reduction insize of flame and act to totally extinguish the light after apredetermined period.

It is thus evident that, while the thermodynamic means are still broadlyin movable relation to the flame of the burner, as broadly disclosed inthe above cited application, the said movable thermal relation isbrought about in a different and specific maintenance of light for abrief period, say one to three minutes, after the usual extinguishingmechanism has been manually operated. As pointed out, such need ispractically universal, the usual immediate darkness which follows theextinguishing act of lamps being of more or less inconvenience.

Otherwise expressed, the invention provides a gas burner which is turnedon to be lighted in the usual manner. And which, further is turned oflin the usual manner, but which does not cease to give light for a briefinterval after such turning off action on the part of the user.

I have illustrated my invention in the annexed drawings, in which Figure1 is a front elevation, partially sectioned, of my improved burner shownin normal operating position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is an elevation like Fig. 1 but showing the relation of parts justafter the action of turning oil has been gone through but before thelight has been extinguished, and Fig. 4 shows'the positions taken by theparts of Fig. 3 when the gas has been completely turned off by thethermo dynamic means. Fig. 5 is a perspective of a complete cased-inburner and bracket therefor.

In the drawings, 1 is the normal flame and 2 (see Fig. 3) the reducedflame. The burner tip appears at 3, the stem at 4, and the valve blockat 5. An arm 6, formed of some highly thermal conductive material suchas copper, is shown attached to a block 8 of similar material, whichblock carries a thermo-dynamic couple 9, arranged with the moreexpansible material outside, away from, the valve block. The lower endof this couple is turned in to form a catch 10, adapted to engage aportion 11 of the disk 12 carried by the valve proper 13. A secondengaged and held in the valve open position by the catch 15 when the gasis turned on, that is, when the valve is opened,-which action is broughtabout by a pull on the cord 16 attached to the arm 17 which forms anextension of the said second disk 14:. A spring 18 is provided tocontrol the catch 15, and a second spring 21, attached to the arm 17,acts to turn off the valve.

Operation is as foll0ws,-When the cord 16 is pulled the valve is rotatedto the open disk 14 is also carried by the valve and is position whereit is locked by the engagement of the catch 15 with the disk 14. Theburner is now operated as long as desired, the relationof parts being asshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

WVhen it is desired to extinguish, the cord 19, attached to an arm 20forming a portion of the catch 15, is pulled. This frees the said catchfrom the disk 1 1 allowing the spring 21 to rotatethc valve toward theclosed position. In the meantime, however,

.the heat of the flame has bent inwardly the predetermined intervalsubsequent to the actuation of the cord 19, for the reason that,

notonly does the couple 9 itself require an 1 appreciable time to cooland bend outwardly, but also the. block 8 acts as .a reservoirof storedheat to oppose the cooling-of the said couple; By proper proportioning'of the size of the couple, amount of engagement of the catch portion .ofthe same with the disk 12, and the mass of the block 8, the

time element may be varied from some 20 seconds or so up to severalmmutes, as may be desired.

The relation of parts at the time of'total extinguishment, and coolingof the couple 9,

is shown in Fig. 4c.

In order to facilitate the retention ofheat in, .and efficientconductivity of heat by, the

arm 6 I may partially jacket the same with some material such asasbestos, shown at 23, if I desire. 1

A suitable casing 24 is generally provided to protect-the parts frominjury and to add attractiveness .tothe general appearance of thedevice.

It will be obviousthat many modifications of the mechanical means hereinshown may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention,and, therefore, without .limiting myself to the precise form hereinshown, WhatI claim is, g

.1. In a gas burnerstructure including a .gas supply control valve, incombination;

means to open the valve; means to tension the valve for automatlcclosure; a latch adapted to hold the va'lveopen until manu allytrippedlto release the same ;.and thermodynamic means arranged to arrestthe valve at a partially closed position for a limited intervaloftimeafter release by said latch.

2. In a ,gas burner structure including a gas supply control valve, incombination; means to open the valve; means to tension the valve forautomatic closure; a latch adapted to hold the valve open until-manually tripped to release the same; and thermodynamic means arrangedto be operatively controlled by heat from the said burner, thereby toarrest the valve at a partially closed position for a definitely limitedinter-v val .of time after release by said latch.

3. In a gas burner including a valve therefor, means to open the valve;means to lock the said valve in an open position; means tending, whenenergized, to close the valve;

means to free the saidlocking means; and thermo-dynamicmeans, operatedby the normal flame of the burner and adapted to arrest the valve at apartially closed position after said locking means have been freed; saidthermodynamic means being further adapted to act to free the valve forcomplete closure as a result of reduction in flame produced by saidpartial closure;

it. In a gas burner including a valve therefor, means toopen thevalve;means adapted to close the valve automatically; means to lock thevalvein an open position ;.-means to free the said locking means; and athermodynamic device adapted, when energized by the normal burner flame,to arrest the valve at .a partially closed position aftersaid lockingmeans have. been freed; said thermodynamic device being further adaptedto release the valve for full closure after the burner flame has beenreduced by said partial closure. o

5. In a gas .7 burner including a valve therefor, means to open thevalve; spring controlled means adapted to close the valve;

-a catch adapted to lock the valve in an open position; means to freethe said catch; and a thermo-dynamic device adapted, when related to thenormal size flame of the burner, to arrest the valve at a partiallyclosed position'after said catch has been freed; the saidthermo-dy-namic device being further adapted to free the valve. forcomplete closure thereof after the flame has'been reducedconsequent uponsaid partial closure of the valve.

6. In a gas burner including a valve therefor, means to open the valve;means tending to close the valve; means adapted toretain the said valveopen; means to free the said retaining means; .a

thermostat mounted upon a base of thermally conductive material, andaconneetion of thermally conductive material fromsaid base to the flameof the burner; the said thermostat being adapted, when energized bythe:normal size flame of the burner, to arrest the valve at a partiallyclosed-position after said retaining means have been freed; and beingfurther adapted to free the said valve to perm-it fullelosure thereofwhen the flame has been reduced by said partial closure.

7. In a gas burner including a valve therefore, a thermostat, a base ofthermally conductive material on which said thermostat is mounted, amember of thermally conductive material secured to said base and adaptedto extend into proximity to the flame of the burner, and a jacket ofthermally non-conductive material partially inclosing said member,whereby eflicient transmission or heat to said thermostat is attained.

In a thermostatically governed gasburner controlling arrangement, incombination; a spring connected when unrestrained to closethe valve ;--adevice to open the valve; an auxiliary sp'ring-tensioned dog arrangedreleasably to lock the valve in the full open position thereof ;and athermostatically controlled detent, positioned and arranged to be madeoperative by the normal flame of the burner to intercept the valve whenreleased from full open position thereof and to hold it at a partiallyclosed relative gas-reducing position thereoIf;t-hecooperativearrangement and positioning of the burner and thermostatic cleviee beingfurther such that the burner flame limited by partial closure of saidvalve operatively cools the thermostat and permits automatic valveclosure.

9. In thermostatically-governed gasburner valve closing mechanism, incombination; means operably independent of burner heat to lock the valveopen and under tension tending when released to close it ;-athermostaticallycontrolled detent operatively positioned when heated bythe full flame of the burner to intercept the valve at a partiallyclosed position and adapted upon diminution of the burner flame torelease the valve for closing; together with auxiliary means independentof burner heat and arranged upon designed manipulation to release thevalve from its fully opened position, to eflect said flame diminution.

10. In thermostatically governed gas burner valve closing mechanism, incombination; means operably independent of burner heat to lock the valveopen and under tension tending when released to close it ;athermostatically controlled detent structure, including heat-receivingand conducting means arranged proximate the burner and connected to thedetent-governmg thermostat whereby the latter is operatively positionedwhen heated by the full flame of the burner to intercept the valve at apartially closed position and adapted upon diminution of the burnerflame to release the valve for closing; together with auxiliary meansindependent of burner heat and arranged upon designed manipulation torelease the valve from its fully opened position, to effect said flamediminution.

11. In gas-burner valve-controlling mechanism, in combination; arotatable valve stem carrying secured thereto a control extension foropening the valve and spring adapted by the valve-opening movement ofsaid extension to be tensioned for closing the valve; a spring actuatedpawl lever arranged automatically to catch and hold said extension inthe full open position of said valve, and adapted to be manuallyactuated to release said extension; a flexing thermostat formed andpositioned for thermally caused movement into position for interceptingvalve-closing movement of said extension; and heating means for saidthermostat, comprising a heat-conductive member extending therefromintoheat-receiving relation to only the full flame of the burner wherebysaid thermostat is rendered operative to arrest the manually-caused,automatic, closing movement of the valve in a flame reducing positionthereof, and whereby said flame reduction causes the thermostat to cooland release the valve for automatic, complete closure thereof.

12. In a gas burner structure including a gas supply control valve, incombination; means to open the valve; means to cause partial closure ofthe valve thereby to effeet a definite reduction of the burner flame;means to tension the valve for full and automatic closure; andthermo-dynamic means adapted to arrest the Valve in its partially closedposition, and further arranged to be rendered active by said flamereduction to release the valve for complete closure a substantialinterval of time thereafter.

Signed at Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts this 9th of September, 1915.

MALCOLM I-I. BAKER.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND D. SMITH, SILvIo Arronoso.

